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Four arrested in France over reported suicide plot

Three men and a teenage girl were detained in anti-terror raids in southern France. The trio was allegedly planning a suicide attack on an unnamed tourist attraction.

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Four terror suspects detained in France: Lisa Louis from Paris

French police thwarted an imminent terror attack when they raided a suspected bombmaking lab in Montpellier and arrested four people, prosecutors announced on Friday. Among those taken into custody in the three raids were a 20-year-old allegedly ready to commit a suicide bombing and a 16-year-old girl, French media reported.

The group came to authorities' attention after one member attempted to reach Syria in 2015 and because of social media posts the teenager made, a police official speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press.

The public prosecutor's office in Paris said police discovered 70 grams of the chemical TATP and other chemicals in the home of the 20-year-old. TATP is an explosive made from readily available products and was used in the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris and the March 2016 attack in Brussels.

Two other men were arrested in the raids - a 33-year-old and a 26-year-old, according to the prosecutor's office, which handles terrorism investigations in France.

Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux said the arrests "thwarted an imminent attack on French soil."

Three of those arrested were suspected of preparing "a violent act on our territory," according to a brief statement from the Interior Ministry.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

Where did it come from?

The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

Where does it operate?

IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

Who is fighting back?

The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

How does it fund itself?

One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

Where does it carry out attacks?

IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

What other tactics does it use?

The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.

What is the 'Islamic State'?

How has it impacted the region?

IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.

Author: Rachel Stewart

Girl swore allegiance to IS

Several French media outlets reported that the girl had sworn allegiance to the so-called "Islamic State" in an online video and was planning to move to Syria under the guidance of her 20-year-old mentor.

Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the work of anti-terror investigators.

"Faced with the heightened threat, there has been an extremely strong mobilization of our intelligence services to ensure the French are protected to the utmost," he said.

The French government said it foiled 17 terror attacks during 2016. The country remained on high alert for extremist terrorism after the January 2015 attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo; the attacks across Paris in November 2015 and 2016's Bastille Day tragedy in Nice.

In September, police arrested three women suspected of planning an attack at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral after discovering gas cylinders in a nearby car.

Chronology: Terror plots in Germany

Leipzig, October 2016

Police in Leipzig arrested 22-year-old Syrian refugee Jaber al-Bakr after a two-day manhunt following the discovery of explosives and other bomb-making equipment at his apartment in Chemnitz. He was suspected of plotting to attack a Berlin airport. Two days later, he hanged himself in his prison cell.

Chronology: Terror plots in Germany

Ansbach, July 2016

In July, the "Islamic State" (IS) claimed responsibility for two attacks carried out by asylum seekers. 15 people were injured in a crowded wine bar next to the entrance to a music festival in the Bavarian town of Ansbach after a rejected Syrian asylum seeker detonated an explosive device. The man killed himself in the attack.

Chronology: Terror plots in Germany

Würzburg, July 2016

A 17-year-old asylum seeker wielding an axe and a knife went on a rampage on a regional train near Würzburg, seriously injuring four members of a tourist family from Hong Kong and a passer-by. The attacker was shot dead by police. German authorities said the teenager was believed to be a "lone wolf" inspired by the IS, but without being a member of the network.

Chronology: Terror plots in Germany

Düsseldorf, May 2016

Three suspected members of the "Islamic State" terror network were arrested in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg and Baden Württemberg. Authorities say two of the men planned to blow themselves up in downtown Düsseldorf, while the other attacker and a fourth jihadist arrested in France planned to target pedestrians with guns and explosive devices.

Chronology: Terror plots in Germany

Essen, April 2016

Police arrested three people over a bomb blast that injured three people in a Sikh temple in Essen. The bomb detonated after a wedding party, blowing out windows and destroying a part of the building's exterior. A 16-year-old suspect turned himself in after police showed footage of the attack from a surveillance camera and special police units arrested another young suspect in his parents' home.

Chronology: Terror plots in Germany

Hanover, February 2016

German-Moroccan Safia S. is charged with stabbing a police officer at the main train station in the northern city of Hanover. The 16-year-old girl is suspected of having been "motivated by members of the Islamic State group in Syria to commit this act," chief prosecutor Simon Heinrichs said.

Chronology: Terror plots in Germany

Berlin, February 2016

In separate raids across the country, police arrested three Algerians suspected of links to the "Islamic State" militant group and of having planned a terrorist attack in Berlin. The Berlin prosecutor's office said prosecutors were aware of a "concrete" plan to target the capital.

Chronology: Terror plots in Germany

Oberursel, April 2015

The Eschborn-Frankfurt City loop bike race was called off after German police discovered it may have been the target of an Islamist terror attack. A 35-year-old German with a Turkish background and his 34-year-old wife were arrested on suspicion of planning the attack. Police found bomb-making materials in their home near the bike route.